What do you think?
Rate this book
Why I Believed: Reflections of a Former Missionary
This is a story of a true Christian who believed for nearly three decades, having grown up the son of evangelical missionary parents, later becoming a missionary himself. Yet he slowly lost his faith and now no longer holds it. In this part-autobiography, part-exposé, Ken traces his journey from evangelical missionary to secular humanist while remaining part of a committed Christian family. He looks back at a number of reasons he remained a believer for over a decade after his initial doubts began at university, critically evaluating each one in a separate chapter. Whether or not you agree with Ken's conclusions, you will find his journey and his reasons for taking it fascinating and informative. You will end up better understanding, if not appreciating, the mind of apostates whose desire is to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2008
113 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 12, 2011
As someone raised as a Bible-believing Christian, who minored in Biblical studies in a Christian University and served on several mission trips in his youth, who devoted the “first fruits” of his life to the Lord and believed at one point that his main goal was to die while firmly holding intact the convictions he had developed as a 13-year old . . . I am totally the target audience of Ken Daniels. I know the Bible intimately, having read it four or five times (in two languages) since I was 12 years old (I am now 51). I had even considered working with Wycliff Bible Translators as he did, at one point in my youth. In other words, as I negotiate this dark woods in the middle of my life, I believe this is the book I was rather fearfully seeking and not sure I would ever actually find.
I found this to be an honest and vulnerable book, absolutely devastating in its kind, gentle tone. Unlike the shrill atheists we seem to hear a lot from these days (and who totally turned me off on atheism as a philosophy and on atheists as a community), Daniels speaks understandingly of just how pervasive is faith and how difficult the path away from it. He is honest about the longing he still feels for the days when he “walked in the courtyards of the Lord”, yet describes in unflinching detail the logic behind his gradual loss of faith. As I read this book, I felt respected and supported by him as I progress through my own “deconversion”, and the language he uses (and the Scripture he quotes) gives him great credibility with believers who must, if they are honest, connect on some level with his doubts.
I found this to be an honest and vulnerable book, absolutely devastating in its kind, gentle tone. Unlike the shrill atheists we seem to hear a lot from these days (and who totally turned me off on atheism as a philosophy and on atheists as a community), Daniels speaks understandingly of just how pervasive is faith and how difficult the path away from it. He is honest about the longing he still feels for the days when he “walked in the courtyards of the Lord”, yet describes in unflinching detail the logic behind his gradual loss of faith. As I read this book, I felt respected and supported by him as I progress through my own “deconversion”, and the language he uses (and the Scripture he quotes) gives him great credibility with believers who must, if they are honest, connect on some level with his doubts.
April 1, 2012
In this book former missionary / bible translator Daniels offers a critique of Christianity and tells his reasons for leaving the faith and becoming an atheist. First off, the tone of this book is much more palatable than what I got from many of the new atheists. While he wants people to move to a more liberal version of Christianity or to lose their faith, he also is willing to admit some of the merits of the Christian faith. I like this much more than the books which attack religion any way they can and seem to believe that all faith is all bad (which is something I simply do not believe).
The book starts with the author telling his story about how he came to the point where he lost his faith. I'm sure for many this will be the best part of the book but for me it seemed a little long. He often tried to prove his former commitment to faith by including some prayers he typed out but I found them often a little long winded, I would have preferred the summary instead of the several page long prayers. Although I understand his reasons for including this information and being long winded, the first thing he wanted to do is prove to the people that he was in fact true christian, not a nominal one whom later lost his faith. I accepted he was a true christian after a few pages of it (having gone though similar struggles myself during my former fundie days, besides few/no people do seven years worth of missionary work without at least believing at some point).
One of the things that caused his faith to start to crack is his discovery that the bible contains contradictions, he often tried to find explanations for this but many were unsatisfying. I think this can be very hard for many sheltered fundamentalists (myself included), most are brought up believing that the bible is the inerrant and 'god breathed' so its not hard to see why when he discovered this might not be true it shattered his world view. Its sad, but from my experience most Christians (I know) have no clue about the findings with modern critical scholarship (most of the times scholars have great reasons), and it would be very hard for them to accept if they did. Most of my christian friends aren't even aware that the story of the woman caught in adultery / and the ending of mark are almost certainly later additions and not in the original documents.
On a side note, I kind of wonder if the fact that many churches keep their congregation sheltered is actually hurting them in the long run. If they(the congregation member) ever accidentally discovers things like textual criticism, read ideas on how the bible was compiled or have the some of the apparent contradictions pointed out many are just not prepared for it. I think this is the reason why Ehrman's books cause so many headaches in the fundi circles. I read lots of stories of people when confronted with these issues often lose their faith rather than move to a more liberal form of Christian. I guess maybe overall this number of 'lost souls' is much smaller than worrying the rest of the congregation about these issues.
For the rest of the book, Daniels presents his case. There are some things he mentions I really agree with, for example I think we should strive as much as possible to take care of the earth, nothing is more frustrating to me than hearing so many Christians claim that we don't need to worry about that because Jesus is coming back soon (I wish I was making this up). A less literal view of the bible would also make non issues out of many biblical question marks like contraception or gay marriage. For one, the earth is getting highly overpopulated, I personally believe that contraception devices should be given away for free in any store, rather than be condemned.
I especially liked his chapter on hell, I've long since thought that the idea of eternal punishment for not knowing Jesus is irreconciliable with the idea of a loving moral God (at least using my human understanding) and its one of the things I used to struggle the most with. Take for example a person who lives a mostly good life, helps out the needy but rejects Jesus, is that reason for him to spend an eternity in hell (would Gandhi be in hell)? Seems a little excessive to me, I mean take even the worst person I can imagine, Hitler and even if he spend a 100 years in torment for each person he had killed, he would be in hell for 1.2 billion years yet that's not even the beginning of eternity, not even the start of his suffering. Even as evil as Hitler was, I think this goes well beyond the idea of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth God ordered the Israelites. I also agree with his that at least in the fundi circles, hell is a thing that most of them thing about regardless of what they say. A couple of months ago my brother died in a car wreck, instead of grieving properly, most of my family was worried about his salvation, wondering if he is burning in hell. My aunt had a dream where she saw him in heaven, they took this as a sign from God and now they can sleep at night knowing that he's not burning, I find something wrong with this.
Overall this was a pretty decent book for presenting some questions about Christianity. I'm sure that many of these topics have been addressed already by Christian apologist, so read the counter arguments as well. For someone who wants to read some objections to christianity, this is a good place to start. He doesn't really present anything which other atheists haven't already done many times before, but his tone and manner is far easier to take than most of the others I've read (plus the book is only a dollar in the kindle format).
The book starts with the author telling his story about how he came to the point where he lost his faith. I'm sure for many this will be the best part of the book but for me it seemed a little long. He often tried to prove his former commitment to faith by including some prayers he typed out but I found them often a little long winded, I would have preferred the summary instead of the several page long prayers. Although I understand his reasons for including this information and being long winded, the first thing he wanted to do is prove to the people that he was in fact true christian, not a nominal one whom later lost his faith. I accepted he was a true christian after a few pages of it (having gone though similar struggles myself during my former fundie days, besides few/no people do seven years worth of missionary work without at least believing at some point).
One of the things that caused his faith to start to crack is his discovery that the bible contains contradictions, he often tried to find explanations for this but many were unsatisfying. I think this can be very hard for many sheltered fundamentalists (myself included), most are brought up believing that the bible is the inerrant and 'god breathed' so its not hard to see why when he discovered this might not be true it shattered his world view. Its sad, but from my experience most Christians (I know) have no clue about the findings with modern critical scholarship (most of the times scholars have great reasons), and it would be very hard for them to accept if they did. Most of my christian friends aren't even aware that the story of the woman caught in adultery / and the ending of mark are almost certainly later additions and not in the original documents.
On a side note, I kind of wonder if the fact that many churches keep their congregation sheltered is actually hurting them in the long run. If they(the congregation member) ever accidentally discovers things like textual criticism, read ideas on how the bible was compiled or have the some of the apparent contradictions pointed out many are just not prepared for it. I think this is the reason why Ehrman's books cause so many headaches in the fundi circles. I read lots of stories of people when confronted with these issues often lose their faith rather than move to a more liberal form of Christian. I guess maybe overall this number of 'lost souls' is much smaller than worrying the rest of the congregation about these issues.
For the rest of the book, Daniels presents his case. There are some things he mentions I really agree with, for example I think we should strive as much as possible to take care of the earth, nothing is more frustrating to me than hearing so many Christians claim that we don't need to worry about that because Jesus is coming back soon (I wish I was making this up). A less literal view of the bible would also make non issues out of many biblical question marks like contraception or gay marriage. For one, the earth is getting highly overpopulated, I personally believe that contraception devices should be given away for free in any store, rather than be condemned.
I especially liked his chapter on hell, I've long since thought that the idea of eternal punishment for not knowing Jesus is irreconciliable with the idea of a loving moral God (at least using my human understanding) and its one of the things I used to struggle the most with. Take for example a person who lives a mostly good life, helps out the needy but rejects Jesus, is that reason for him to spend an eternity in hell (would Gandhi be in hell)? Seems a little excessive to me, I mean take even the worst person I can imagine, Hitler and even if he spend a 100 years in torment for each person he had killed, he would be in hell for 1.2 billion years yet that's not even the beginning of eternity, not even the start of his suffering. Even as evil as Hitler was, I think this goes well beyond the idea of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth God ordered the Israelites. I also agree with his that at least in the fundi circles, hell is a thing that most of them thing about regardless of what they say. A couple of months ago my brother died in a car wreck, instead of grieving properly, most of my family was worried about his salvation, wondering if he is burning in hell. My aunt had a dream where she saw him in heaven, they took this as a sign from God and now they can sleep at night knowing that he's not burning, I find something wrong with this.
Overall this was a pretty decent book for presenting some questions about Christianity. I'm sure that many of these topics have been addressed already by Christian apologist, so read the counter arguments as well. For someone who wants to read some objections to christianity, this is a good place to start. He doesn't really present anything which other atheists haven't already done many times before, but his tone and manner is far easier to take than most of the others I've read (plus the book is only a dollar in the kindle format).
February 16, 2013
Over the past two years I have been progressing through my own deconversion story. Reading Daniels book felt like someone was able to put into words many of my own thoughts, ideas and feelings that I have been working through during this time. I know that people of my former faith circle are saying "she was never truly saved", or "she hardened her heart to god by the choices she made", rather than understanding that I've finally allowed myself to face the tough questions and inconsistencies that the christian faith presents and have accepted the conclusion that it just doesn't add up. Daniels writes in a gentle tone that resonated strongly with me as he faced these same things. I suggest any christian wanting to hear the other side of the story - or wanting to get an idea of why I have left the faith - to read this book... not to try and deconvert them or start a debate or argument, but simply to understand that there exists a genuine side to those who have left the faith.
March 25, 2012
Kenneth Daniels grew up in a conservative fundamentalist Christian church, went on to serve as a missionary in Africa and then he lost his faith. This book is his story of how and why that happened. He offers an extensive critique of the Christian faith and why he finds it just plain wrong.
There are a lot of books like this on the market today. Many books attacking the Christian faith are by the so-called "new atheists" and are written with a bit more vitriol then Daniels has. It seems that the new atheists are in a swimming pool and screaming at Christians and believers to dive head-first off the high-dive into the deep-end of atheism. Daniels is in the same swimming pool, but he encourages the believer to begin at the steps in the shallow end, slowly going in one step at a time to get used to the water.
That makes this book, in my opinion, much more challenging. Daniels writes with a kindness and knowledge from having been there. This does not mean he is not striking in his critique: where he sees Christianity as illogical, absurd or just plain evil he calls it so. But his style of writing is one that will draw in people who may not read other atheists.
That said, I am still a Christian at the end of this book. I could spend time trying to pick apart some of what Daniels says. He could be criticized for focusing his attack on the fundamentalist side of Christianity, though it makes sense since that is his background. I found it interesting that when it helps his case against fundamentalist Christianity he will quote evangelical Christians (like OT scholar John Goldingay on the dating of the Torah, for example). Some of his points could have been excised, such as when he talked of being attacked for leaving faith and his main example was a person he barely knew (did not know at all? I can't recall) posting on an internet chat board. That is the best example? He also shares a story of an apparent healing of a woman he knew and why he was skeptical of it but he did not talk to her after it I noted in the margin, why didn't he just call her and ask about it?
For me, the arguments I found least convincing were those on meaning and morality. Clearly there are many atheists, like Daniels, who live with high morality (and many theists who fail). Daniels argues that just because we yearn for a higher meaning or purpose or objective standard does not mean there is one. Fair enough. Maybe it is subjective of me, but when I stare into the nothingness I cringe. Why try to make the world a better place? Why not only put myself first if this life is all there is? Daniels has answers. I just don't find them ultimately satisfying.
Finally, I wish he had dialogues more with atheists like Nietzsche and Camus who came down in a different place on meaning and morality.
I think more Christians should read books like this. If our faith is true, if God really is there and loves us and all that, what do we have to fear?
There are a lot of books like this on the market today. Many books attacking the Christian faith are by the so-called "new atheists" and are written with a bit more vitriol then Daniels has. It seems that the new atheists are in a swimming pool and screaming at Christians and believers to dive head-first off the high-dive into the deep-end of atheism. Daniels is in the same swimming pool, but he encourages the believer to begin at the steps in the shallow end, slowly going in one step at a time to get used to the water.
That makes this book, in my opinion, much more challenging. Daniels writes with a kindness and knowledge from having been there. This does not mean he is not striking in his critique: where he sees Christianity as illogical, absurd or just plain evil he calls it so. But his style of writing is one that will draw in people who may not read other atheists.
That said, I am still a Christian at the end of this book. I could spend time trying to pick apart some of what Daniels says. He could be criticized for focusing his attack on the fundamentalist side of Christianity, though it makes sense since that is his background. I found it interesting that when it helps his case against fundamentalist Christianity he will quote evangelical Christians (like OT scholar John Goldingay on the dating of the Torah, for example). Some of his points could have been excised, such as when he talked of being attacked for leaving faith and his main example was a person he barely knew (did not know at all? I can't recall) posting on an internet chat board. That is the best example? He also shares a story of an apparent healing of a woman he knew and why he was skeptical of it but he did not talk to her after it I noted in the margin, why didn't he just call her and ask about it?
For me, the arguments I found least convincing were those on meaning and morality. Clearly there are many atheists, like Daniels, who live with high morality (and many theists who fail). Daniels argues that just because we yearn for a higher meaning or purpose or objective standard does not mean there is one. Fair enough. Maybe it is subjective of me, but when I stare into the nothingness I cringe. Why try to make the world a better place? Why not only put myself first if this life is all there is? Daniels has answers. I just don't find them ultimately satisfying.
Finally, I wish he had dialogues more with atheists like Nietzsche and Camus who came down in a different place on meaning and morality.
I think more Christians should read books like this. If our faith is true, if God really is there and loves us and all that, what do we have to fear?
May 19, 2012
I am really enjoying this book that tracks the author's conversion from evangelical Christianity - he was a preacher and a missionary to Africa - to atheism. The writing style is open and honest, and easy to read, which is good because the book is really long. It's divided into two parts - the first is his autobiographical story, and the second presents the reasons why he believed (hence the title) and why he no longer holds those particular beliefs.
At multiple points he acknowledges that his honesty about his newfound beliefs hasn't been without cost - he lost his job and many friends because of it. He writes that his life would probably be easier if he still believed, or if he could at least fake it. I admire him for not only being open and honest, but also going to the effort of writing the book. I think it can help nonbelievers understand a bit of where believers are coming from, and perhaps also help nudge believers to question unquestioned beliefs.
At multiple points he acknowledges that his honesty about his newfound beliefs hasn't been without cost - he lost his job and many friends because of it. He writes that his life would probably be easier if he still believed, or if he could at least fake it. I admire him for not only being open and honest, but also going to the effort of writing the book. I think it can help nonbelievers understand a bit of where believers are coming from, and perhaps also help nudge believers to question unquestioned beliefs.
May 22, 2025
Mr. Daniels is effective because he sincerely was in the cult and knows how difficult it was for him to leave. He also at the time of the writing was surrounded by myth-believers and didn’t want to alienate his cohorts.
All Christian defensive arguments for why they believe without sufficient evidence were politely dismantled within this book.
I read a critique of this book online and a commentator had said “Kenneth Daniels was never a real Christian” that kind of comment always cracks me up. Daniels was as real as it gets.
I found this book since it was cited multiple times in “Broken Promises” by Mark Smith. Smith mentioned that Mr. Daniels noted that Jesus never came back as explicitly promised and that Christians who make fun of Jehovah Witnesses unfulfilled prophecies are guilty of ignoring their own unfulfilled prophecies.
A common excusialogist (aka: apologist) argument is that those Christians over there aren’t real Christians, or they are just a fringe of Christianity such as Natural Evolution deniers like Lee Strobel, or Ken Ham, and so on. Mr. Daniels tries his best to show how the goalposts continuously move and dismantles those apologists’ excuses.
I would be hard pressed to come up with an argument that Christians use that wasn’t refuted in this book. It’s clear the Mr. Daniels left believing in fairytales reluctantly and tried everything he could do to believe the absurdities even after they were shown for what they were.
All Christian defensive arguments for why they believe without sufficient evidence were politely dismantled within this book.
I read a critique of this book online and a commentator had said “Kenneth Daniels was never a real Christian” that kind of comment always cracks me up. Daniels was as real as it gets.
I found this book since it was cited multiple times in “Broken Promises” by Mark Smith. Smith mentioned that Mr. Daniels noted that Jesus never came back as explicitly promised and that Christians who make fun of Jehovah Witnesses unfulfilled prophecies are guilty of ignoring their own unfulfilled prophecies.
A common excusialogist (aka: apologist) argument is that those Christians over there aren’t real Christians, or they are just a fringe of Christianity such as Natural Evolution deniers like Lee Strobel, or Ken Ham, and so on. Mr. Daniels tries his best to show how the goalposts continuously move and dismantles those apologists’ excuses.
I would be hard pressed to come up with an argument that Christians use that wasn’t refuted in this book. It’s clear the Mr. Daniels left believing in fairytales reluctantly and tried everything he could do to believe the absurdities even after they were shown for what they were.
June 19, 2013
I can't recommend this book enough! After loosing my faith, I've had quite the time trying to share my thoughts, reasons, and what I now think to my Christian friends...only to be faced with frustrating conversation after another. So many good anti-religious books have one main problem when it comes to Christians. It's the tone of the book and writing. No matter how reasonable most authors are with their arguments, most anti-religious authors come across heavy handed and harsh towards Christians (which obviously over shadows any argument they make as most Christians can't get past the "tone" to really think about the arguments the author is making). Ken Daniels takes the opposite approach. I can totally relate to his style, gentleness and approach to his former faith. At this point in my own journey, my Christian friendships have either faded away, or the friendships are just as strong as ever, but we don't talk about Christianity and faith anymore. If I could, I would encourage every Christian friend (current or former) to read this book. It answers almost every question they have as to why I (and Mr. Daniels) have left the faith in a gentle and honest way. It's an easy read, but the middle of the book does get a little tiring in a few places. However, the first few chapters and the last few chapters were very, very good. Unfortunately, most Christians don't honestly evaluate their own faith like they do other "false" faiths (just my opinion). I doubt this book will cause most Christians to really HONESTLY question their faith, but it's more about understanding what I went through and why after I questioned my faith. Ken Daniels tackles quite a few misunderstanding that Christians tend to have about former Christians. Unlike other anti-Christian books, Daniels doesn't try to de-convert anyone with arguments, but rather tries to bridge the gap between current believers and people like me who have left the faith...trying to help them understand why we believed and why we left. If you are a Christian, I beg you to take time to read this book!
January 15, 2011
Mr. Daniels is a former evangelical/fundamentalist missionary to Africa who lost his faith, convinced, he says, by reason and logic that evangelical/fundamentalist Christianity doesn't hold water. Almost all of the arguments he offers are the ones that any thoughtful atheist, agnostic, or theist has encountered, considered, and acknowledged, so there's really nothing new here for the thoughtful atheist, agnostic, or theist.
The weaknesses of the book, such as they are weaknesses, are few. His primary intended audience is those who are probably least likely to read the book, that is, those evangelical/fundamentalist Christians who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. The arguments he offers are devastating to that particular approach to Christianity. But although he engages other, less "fundamentalist" defenders of Christianity (e.g., C. S. Lewis, who, although probably an evangelical, certainly does not believe in the inerrancy of (most of) the Bible and who doesn't even discount that humans may have evolved from "lesser" mammals), Daniels's argumentation is focused on addressing the possible objections that members of his primary intended audience might raise. In other words, he is not addressing straw man arguments--because those arguments exist among the audience he means to write for--but he does not delve as fully as more self-consciously questioning theists. I'm not sure this counts as a "weakness" (he is clear about who his intended audience is), but the book leaves other readers where they probably were when they picked it up.
Another "weakness," if it is right to call it a weakness, is that Daniels does not seem to acknowledge (at least not to the extent that I would prefer) that his naturalistic worldview is based necessarily on unprovable assumptions. This is particularly clear when he spends much time debunking the alleged "miracles" that appear in the Bible. This debunking project is quite well done, but I would have liked him to go the extra mile and point out that miracles, by their very definition, are a-natural. In short, no one who subscribes completely to a naturalistic worldview could acknowledge a miracle even if they saw it with their own eyes because any such miracle "must have a reasonable explanation and if we don't know the explanation, then it's because we simply haven't uncovered it yet." Again, this isn't so much a weakness as it is a quality of the position for which Mr. Daniels argues so well.
What I liked best about this book--besides the fact that one can read the full version on Google books without having to buy it--is its humility and its tone. Daniels is not out to explain "how religion ruins everything." Rather, he remains consistently respectful to the persons whose worldview he challenges so well. Indeed, my own receptiveness to his book--I usually identify as "an agnostic who leans toward theism"--causes me to wonder about my own antipathy to the atheist/agnostic/naturalist arguments. Perhaps I what I object to in these arguments is more the strident and bigoted tone of the Dawkins and Hitchens crowd than what they actually argue.
At any rate, this book is worth a read.
The weaknesses of the book, such as they are weaknesses, are few. His primary intended audience is those who are probably least likely to read the book, that is, those evangelical/fundamentalist Christians who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. The arguments he offers are devastating to that particular approach to Christianity. But although he engages other, less "fundamentalist" defenders of Christianity (e.g., C. S. Lewis, who, although probably an evangelical, certainly does not believe in the inerrancy of (most of) the Bible and who doesn't even discount that humans may have evolved from "lesser" mammals), Daniels's argumentation is focused on addressing the possible objections that members of his primary intended audience might raise. In other words, he is not addressing straw man arguments--because those arguments exist among the audience he means to write for--but he does not delve as fully as more self-consciously questioning theists. I'm not sure this counts as a "weakness" (he is clear about who his intended audience is), but the book leaves other readers where they probably were when they picked it up.
Another "weakness," if it is right to call it a weakness, is that Daniels does not seem to acknowledge (at least not to the extent that I would prefer) that his naturalistic worldview is based necessarily on unprovable assumptions. This is particularly clear when he spends much time debunking the alleged "miracles" that appear in the Bible. This debunking project is quite well done, but I would have liked him to go the extra mile and point out that miracles, by their very definition, are a-natural. In short, no one who subscribes completely to a naturalistic worldview could acknowledge a miracle even if they saw it with their own eyes because any such miracle "must have a reasonable explanation and if we don't know the explanation, then it's because we simply haven't uncovered it yet." Again, this isn't so much a weakness as it is a quality of the position for which Mr. Daniels argues so well.
What I liked best about this book--besides the fact that one can read the full version on Google books without having to buy it--is its humility and its tone. Daniels is not out to explain "how religion ruins everything." Rather, he remains consistently respectful to the persons whose worldview he challenges so well. Indeed, my own receptiveness to his book--I usually identify as "an agnostic who leans toward theism"--causes me to wonder about my own antipathy to the atheist/agnostic/naturalist arguments. Perhaps I what I object to in these arguments is more the strident and bigoted tone of the Dawkins and Hitchens crowd than what they actually argue.
At any rate, this book is worth a read.
November 21, 2020
UPDATE: "Words, words, words." Well, I found God. I think Daniel himself would also benefit from a more liberal christianity. Or rather a more liberal reading of the Bible, and the Quran, and fairy tales, and spell books. We're all just speaking words at the end of the day trying to convey some sort of Truth. Daniels will soon find that logical empiricism has its own contradictions. While science has its material benefits, it excludes acknowledgment of the self's role in shaping our reality. Emotions reach the solipsistic dead end of being electrical brain processes. But with the contemplative philosophy, we're able to speak to anyone because we know nothing, and we must actively speak with people and understand the nuance and their myths and terminology to find where the truth may lead us. The stories in the Bible are such widespread in our TV and literature that it really doesn't matter whether or not these stories are true in the academic history sense. That's just a childish way with engaging with faiths to prove oneself always correct. And that is a very lonely road to head.
_______________________________________________
Having grown up in a devout family, attended church consistently during childhood, and gone to a Baptist middle school, I'm very familiar with a lot of the American evangelical dogmas and talking points. I had my first "epiphany" that the Word may just be a word after coming back home after 7th-grade Christian science class that consisted of the teacher's defending young-earth Creationism. A realization like that can be so scary for a child. Is life so fleeting? Is there any way I can tell my family about my thoughts?
Daniels starts with a short biographical account of his relationship with Christianity then progresses to more evidence-, logic-, and ethical-based issues with the Faith. Some topics are more exhilarating than others. The section of contradictory Bible verses is a page turner compared to the slog that was the shaky dialogue on morality. Daniels saves his emotional energy for the chapter near the end of the book about Hell and eternal damnation, where he questions the idea of a "loving" God that can send billions of His own creations that never asked to be born to a fire-and-brimstone chamber for an infinite timescale. All of these chapters serve to at least convince more fundamentalist Christians to a more liberal form of Christianity.
This is an important book. I lost my faith in religion for reasons within and outside of this text and was looking for a book that I could recommend to close Christian family members to understand some of my reasoning. This may be it.
_______________________________________________
Having grown up in a devout family, attended church consistently during childhood, and gone to a Baptist middle school, I'm very familiar with a lot of the American evangelical dogmas and talking points. I had my first "epiphany" that the Word may just be a word after coming back home after 7th-grade Christian science class that consisted of the teacher's defending young-earth Creationism. A realization like that can be so scary for a child. Is life so fleeting? Is there any way I can tell my family about my thoughts?
Daniels starts with a short biographical account of his relationship with Christianity then progresses to more evidence-, logic-, and ethical-based issues with the Faith. Some topics are more exhilarating than others. The section of contradictory Bible verses is a page turner compared to the slog that was the shaky dialogue on morality. Daniels saves his emotional energy for the chapter near the end of the book about Hell and eternal damnation, where he questions the idea of a "loving" God that can send billions of His own creations that never asked to be born to a fire-and-brimstone chamber for an infinite timescale. All of these chapters serve to at least convince more fundamentalist Christians to a more liberal form of Christianity.
This is an important book. I lost my faith in religion for reasons within and outside of this text and was looking for a book that I could recommend to close Christian family members to understand some of my reasoning. This may be it.
July 5, 2015
The Number One Book That All Skeptics Or Those With Religious Doubts Need To Read
After decades of being a devout evangelical,the horrors of real life happening around me,especially the almost daily occurence of babies and children being beaten/abducted/raped/killed,I could no longer believe there were such supernatural beings as guardian angels or even a loving god who could watch such horrors without intervention.
Common sense took over and I thought of all the asinine excuses I had heard and even used myself to excuse such a do-nothing-sit-on-his-butt god,through all those years.And don't even get me started on the character of the OT God!
I wanted to see what other former believers had to say. What had been the turning point in their lives,as well.
This book[I read it on my Kindle]could be my story,except for the missionary field,and I would wager that many many,many other 'former' believers would say the same thing.
Really illustrates how religious indoctrination is nothing short of brainwashing,and cultural upbringing.
Irrefutable evidence how the origins of religions are no more than superstions and myth,and share so many of the same elements exactly!
Makes so much more sense than my bible ever did,and is worth so much more.
"To thine own self be true".
After decades of being a devout evangelical,the horrors of real life happening around me,especially the almost daily occurence of babies and children being beaten/abducted/raped/killed,I could no longer believe there were such supernatural beings as guardian angels or even a loving god who could watch such horrors without intervention.
Common sense took over and I thought of all the asinine excuses I had heard and even used myself to excuse such a do-nothing-sit-on-his-butt god,through all those years.And don't even get me started on the character of the OT God!
I wanted to see what other former believers had to say. What had been the turning point in their lives,as well.
This book[I read it on my Kindle]could be my story,except for the missionary field,and I would wager that many many,many other 'former' believers would say the same thing.
Really illustrates how religious indoctrination is nothing short of brainwashing,and cultural upbringing.
Irrefutable evidence how the origins of religions are no more than superstions and myth,and share so many of the same elements exactly!
Makes so much more sense than my bible ever did,and is worth so much more.
"To thine own self be true".
October 11, 2011
The author goes to great lengths to be as inoffensive as possible. His struggle with religious beliefs is not something that occurred overnight. He spent years struggling against his indoctrination.
April 2, 2013
This is a good book, from the heart, from a man who was reared in a life where fundamentalist christianity was the only reality that existed for him. As he grew older and wiser, and began sincerely questioning, investigating, and researching he came to the rational studied understanding that what he had been taught all his youth was not true, or rational, or consistent. He did not come to this understanding of anger, or hatred, but a sincere, concerned search for the truth.
Welcome to my world.
Our backgrounds shared many similarities, but many of his friends and family members were more compassionate. What I could relate to most of all were those who were convinced that he was living a life of egregious sin, or flagrant rebellion against all societal norms to come to a conclusion of agnosticism or atheism. Nor could they fathom that he was essential the same person he was before with the same likes and dislikes, just not a fundamentalist christian.
Like the author my own studies in linguistics, particularly linguistic anthropology, ancient history and literature, archaeology, and science showed over and over the huge gaps in my own learning and the apparent truths I had been told. I felt I had found a kindred soul in this man, although our stories are different in many ways. First I am a woman and had the added burden and inconsistent teaching that all my education and skills were to be used only for the church and at home. Second, his own church was less narrow than ones my parents or former spouse attended. Third, he is a good generation younger than I am, which offered him different avenues for independent research, communication with others, and opportunities that were unavailable to me.
Nevertheless, I empathized with the author.
I did find the book to be repetitive at times, as he rehashed over again arguments for why he believed, or did not believe, certain things, or arguments with well meaning people who tried to gently pull him "back into the fold" or those who wrangled with him for the "bound for hell" apostate he now presented.
But what was important to me in this book was that the author sincerely tries to explain his thinking, his mind, his feelings, and how he came to the place he is now, even though many refuse to believe his experience is possible. It is possible, I can vouch for that.
Welcome to my world.
Our backgrounds shared many similarities, but many of his friends and family members were more compassionate. What I could relate to most of all were those who were convinced that he was living a life of egregious sin, or flagrant rebellion against all societal norms to come to a conclusion of agnosticism or atheism. Nor could they fathom that he was essential the same person he was before with the same likes and dislikes, just not a fundamentalist christian.
Like the author my own studies in linguistics, particularly linguistic anthropology, ancient history and literature, archaeology, and science showed over and over the huge gaps in my own learning and the apparent truths I had been told. I felt I had found a kindred soul in this man, although our stories are different in many ways. First I am a woman and had the added burden and inconsistent teaching that all my education and skills were to be used only for the church and at home. Second, his own church was less narrow than ones my parents or former spouse attended. Third, he is a good generation younger than I am, which offered him different avenues for independent research, communication with others, and opportunities that were unavailable to me.
Nevertheless, I empathized with the author.
I did find the book to be repetitive at times, as he rehashed over again arguments for why he believed, or did not believe, certain things, or arguments with well meaning people who tried to gently pull him "back into the fold" or those who wrangled with him for the "bound for hell" apostate he now presented.
But what was important to me in this book was that the author sincerely tries to explain his thinking, his mind, his feelings, and how he came to the place he is now, even though many refuse to believe his experience is possible. It is possible, I can vouch for that.
April 11, 2011
This was a hard read. I was curious what causes a person to go from aBible-believing Evangelical missionary to naturalist/atheist. Unlike Richard Dawkins books, (think "God Delusion") this author talks from the standpoint of having 'been there'. There is a tone of compassion throughout the book, especially at the end. From his take on young earth to Evolution and 'tough' texts of the Bible that potray God in a not so good light, he addresses many challenges that Evangelical Christians are quick to dismiss or intellectually put their head in the sand on. Despite his disbelief, he is still married to an Evangelical Christian with 2 kids that attend church.
While I don't share the author's conclusions--there are simply too many things about Christianity to call it a false religion. Much of the author's criticisms are at Christians and their jabs at other religions, and they're lack of ability to look attheir faith critically. The author suffered several different 'crisis of faith' and even tried to continue on as a believer for a year after he began to have doubts. Much of the book is about his journey from believer to skeptic and the reaction of those along the way.
Ken answers the typcial questions/comments he hears from others: "You were never a believer in the first place" or "are you less happy then before?"
It's obvious that the author put a lot of thought into this book and presents a very laid out, logical approach to his disbelief--almost to the point of making an airtight case for being a skeptic.
Still I think to be a atheist takes as much (if not more) faith as it does to be a believer.
Read this book if nothing else but to get a different viewpoint and try to understand where other people are coming from--it won't hurt, I promise! I picked up the Kindle version for 1.99. The links and references are excellent-whether the author quotes references from CS Lewis or Dawkins, they provide ample resources for further study. It's my understanding that the author is donating the profits from it.
While I don't share the author's conclusions--there are simply too many things about Christianity to call it a false religion. Much of the author's criticisms are at Christians and their jabs at other religions, and they're lack of ability to look attheir faith critically. The author suffered several different 'crisis of faith' and even tried to continue on as a believer for a year after he began to have doubts. Much of the book is about his journey from believer to skeptic and the reaction of those along the way.
Ken answers the typcial questions/comments he hears from others: "You were never a believer in the first place" or "are you less happy then before?"
It's obvious that the author put a lot of thought into this book and presents a very laid out, logical approach to his disbelief--almost to the point of making an airtight case for being a skeptic.
Still I think to be a atheist takes as much (if not more) faith as it does to be a believer.
Read this book if nothing else but to get a different viewpoint and try to understand where other people are coming from--it won't hurt, I promise! I picked up the Kindle version for 1.99. The links and references are excellent-whether the author quotes references from CS Lewis or Dawkins, they provide ample resources for further study. It's my understanding that the author is donating the profits from it.
October 24, 2012
I pity Ken Daniels for having to write such a dense explanation. Trying to write a short and appropriate review is enough for me. For his efforts I would be happy he receives solid recompense. It grinds me considering how much valuable time and energy someone like the author (or anyone) has to expend defending clear and reasonable behavior. I give the book 4 stars because it will contribute to further sales, but not because it was enjoyable (more like mind numbing). Don’t blame Ken though, the whole circumstance stinks. He did his best to be gentle and apologized for the possibility of offense so much that I found myself preferring a raw Dawkins. Ken’s history is fascinating though and shaped his valuable point of view. He has a considerable background in biblical studies, mission work, and bible translation for Wycliffe. Today he considers himself a secular humanist and serves as another bridge for the growing number of bible raised atheists, agnostics and deists.
February 28, 2021
This book is well-written and informative. The author shares his story of being a Christian and becoming an atheist. He shares his experience as a missionary bible translator, why he remained a Christian, and why he hesitated to examine his faith. He also includes detailed discussion on the arguments for Christianity such as the claims of the resurrection of Jesus and the reliability of the bible. He is very thorough and honest with his thoughts and feelings. The quality of writing is exceptional. I love that he includes many references and endnotes. There is a lot of thought-provoking information while still keeping the feeling of being on a personal journey. I recommend this book for Christians as well as atheists. I bought the ebook version, and it was the best $0.99 I ever spent on a book!
February 23, 2018
This book took me over 4 years to read and was one of the most difficult, sometimes debilitating book I've ever read. I powered through, because someone I love dearly asked me to. It helped me understand their journey, and to alleviate a bit of the sadness and mourning their journey has left in me. I'm still a believer and heartbroken, but reading this challenging story gave me empathy.
January 3, 2016
Well written and detailed deconversion story.
August 2, 2018
Tough book for a Christian to read. Despite the author's assurances of gentility, the book was a full-throated assault on Christianity and anyone who believes in it. Sometimes he seeks the middle ground, but his condescension and resentment bely his true feelings. He argues, for instance, that people of faith cannot give up their religion due to a "lack of courage." Until you give up your faith, he says, you cannot "appreciate the interlocking web of evidence that confirms unbelief," suggesting that people of faith must give it up before they see the full truth. This is also an odd assertion given his frustration with Christians that say you must first accept the Holy Spirit before seeing the same.
In his defense, the responses of many Christians to his deconversion as he describes them are sad and concerning. No doubt hateful responses accelerated his disinterest in theism and reduced hope of intellectual detente with his former peers.
There is a lot to respect about Daniels' arguments. Like a good computer scientist, he is highly logical and makes a number of valid points about belief in God. I find myself agreeing with much (but not all) of what he says about God, the Bible, and many arguments for belief. He is extremely knowledgeable about the Bible and naturalism, which adds weight to his arguments. This poses a challenge too though, in that few will be able to fact check his assertions without a great deal of research. My suspicions were raised when inaccuracies were found. That said, I recognize it's not fair to dismiss someone because of the occasional error.
On the evidence of the existence of God in the physical world, I can share the middle ground with Daniels, even if I emerge with a different conclusion. On the question of morality, I find his arguments uncharacteristically weak. I can't help but wonder if he wrote this chapter in a conversational form because he recognized the shakiness of his case, and did not want to present it as his own beliefs, but rather the beliefs of an anonymous humanist. He argues (through the voice of his humanist) that his own morals are driven purely by rational thinking, rather than the far more likely explanation that he inherited the Christian morals of his upbringing. This, after all, is a primary reason he gives for Christians who believe, yet he does not apply the same logic to himself.
On the humanity of the Bible, his arguments are compelling (though he takes a narrow view on how divine inspiration must manifest itself in writing). Adam Hamilton, one of the most thoughtful and influential Christian pastor-writers alive today, has argued the same from the perspective of a devoted Christian. So Daniels' views are not contrary to the entirety of mainline Christianity, though they certainly are to a part of it.
This highlights one of my major critiques with the book, that Daniels is substantially arguing against a conservative evangelical Christian viewpoint, and not against the likely midpoint of an average U.S. Christian believer today. People like Daniels tend to applaud liberals on their flexibility and open-mindedness, yet in the same breath attack them for their "mental gymnastics." Arbitrarily dismissing parts of the Bible that one doesn't like may rightly be called mental gymnastics. But placing scripture in its proper context by viewing it through the lens of history, archaeology, linguistics, culture, and literary research may not. In many cases, Daniels' attacks seemed aimed at a narrow and literal interpretation of scripture, likely the one he was raised with.
The chapter on Jesus was quite short and, for me, unpersuasive. Daniels seems to have accepted Price and Ehrman on this matter over the alternative viewpoints. But like all of us, his own experiences have also influenced his thinking. His stories about the credulity of people believing in miracles in poorer nations has led him to dismiss the possibility that Christianity's rise from obscurity should be considered in weighing its truth. Though I understand and appreciate his perspective on this, I find him overly dismissive. He is too quick to compare the people he met in his life with people in first-century Israel, and to dismiss the spread of Christianity and its implications.
Then there is the issue of hell. This is clearly the pivotal one for Daniels, and in addition to the reactions of Christians to his deconversion, is probably the single greatest reason for his anger. But there are many Christians out there (perhaps more than Daniels is aware) that believe all people are saved, or at the very least that make no claims about the nature of hell or anyone's salvation. For those of us in this category, his bellicosity seems unjustified.
In summary, this was a well-written and challenging book, though I disagree with many of its conclusions. For Christians seeking to better understand people who disagree with them, this seems like a relatively comprehensive discussion of the issues at hand.
June 11, 2024
I've read plenty of books by atheists or agnostics who became Christian, but never anything by a person whose faith journey went in the opposite direction. I am in awe of the courage and integrity of a man who would completely upend his sense of self, place in his community, and livelihood, for the sake of a principle.
Ken Daniels had devoted his life and the lives of his wife and children to working as a bible translator in Africa. His entire education (with the exception of a few computer classes) was directed to the goal of preparing him for that task. He suffered from malaria and the fear of violence. He was unable to be with his beloved mother during her final illness. This was not a casual committment. The Daniels family was completely dependent upon donations for their support. It must have been horrible for Ken to realize that he had doubts about the fundamentalist faith that had sustained him for his entire life. He tried hard to accept the advice of family, friends, and colleagues, but, ultimately, could not resolve his doubts. This meant returning from Africa and giving up the career he had seen as a God-given vocation.
In Why I Believed: Refections of a Former Missionary, Ken Daniels gives the reasons for his loss of faith. He analyzes his problems with biblical inerrancy and other ideas cherished by fundamentalist Christians. With intellectual support from writers like Carl Sagan, Thomas Paine and Robert M. Price, he takes on apologists of the calibre of C.S. Lewis. (As a long-time Lewis fan, I was amazed to discover the holes I missed in some of his arguments.)
The book does go on a bit too long in proving the author's points, but he generously suggests that readers who don't have issues with things like evolution or young earth theories should skip ahead to the next section. I did find it a bit annoying to be told that something or other would be examined more fully in a subsequent chapter, but I suppose that was useful for readers who had very specific concerns and thought they were not handled completely in earlier sections.
Along with letters from friends and online posts from what I can only call enemies, the author includes fairly lengthy prayers (he prayed by typing his words) of anguished pleading to a God who did not answer him. I found this strange, but very moving. No one can fairly accuse Ken Daniels of being frivolous or light-minded.
This is an extraordinary book that clarifies exactly what is wrong with a faith that offers some people comfort at the expense of many billions of nonbelievers who they believe are condemned to eternal torment through no fault of their own. In some ways, I might be happier if I hadn't read it, but having done so, there is really no turning back.
Ken Daniels had devoted his life and the lives of his wife and children to working as a bible translator in Africa. His entire education (with the exception of a few computer classes) was directed to the goal of preparing him for that task. He suffered from malaria and the fear of violence. He was unable to be with his beloved mother during her final illness. This was not a casual committment. The Daniels family was completely dependent upon donations for their support. It must have been horrible for Ken to realize that he had doubts about the fundamentalist faith that had sustained him for his entire life. He tried hard to accept the advice of family, friends, and colleagues, but, ultimately, could not resolve his doubts. This meant returning from Africa and giving up the career he had seen as a God-given vocation.
In Why I Believed: Refections of a Former Missionary, Ken Daniels gives the reasons for his loss of faith. He analyzes his problems with biblical inerrancy and other ideas cherished by fundamentalist Christians. With intellectual support from writers like Carl Sagan, Thomas Paine and Robert M. Price, he takes on apologists of the calibre of C.S. Lewis. (As a long-time Lewis fan, I was amazed to discover the holes I missed in some of his arguments.)
The book does go on a bit too long in proving the author's points, but he generously suggests that readers who don't have issues with things like evolution or young earth theories should skip ahead to the next section. I did find it a bit annoying to be told that something or other would be examined more fully in a subsequent chapter, but I suppose that was useful for readers who had very specific concerns and thought they were not handled completely in earlier sections.
Along with letters from friends and online posts from what I can only call enemies, the author includes fairly lengthy prayers (he prayed by typing his words) of anguished pleading to a God who did not answer him. I found this strange, but very moving. No one can fairly accuse Ken Daniels of being frivolous or light-minded.
This is an extraordinary book that clarifies exactly what is wrong with a faith that offers some people comfort at the expense of many billions of nonbelievers who they believe are condemned to eternal torment through no fault of their own. In some ways, I might be happier if I hadn't read it, but having done so, there is really no turning back.
April 1, 2023
My 3rd re-read in 7 years
A well written, precise, and kind book for those who, like myself (also a devotee of Robert M. Price) were fundamentalist Christians and ministers who eventually left the faith. Daniels is honest and heartfelt in his treatises, and he leaves absolutely no stone or detail unturned. I wish I could have every current and former Christian and religious friend of mine read this, and then I could say "This is what I haven't been able to eloquate to you." Thank you, Mr. Daniels.
A well written, precise, and kind book for those who, like myself (also a devotee of Robert M. Price) were fundamentalist Christians and ministers who eventually left the faith. Daniels is honest and heartfelt in his treatises, and he leaves absolutely no stone or detail unturned. I wish I could have every current and former Christian and religious friend of mine read this, and then I could say "This is what I haven't been able to eloquate to you." Thank you, Mr. Daniels.
June 20, 2020
ORU MDiv UMC Rev
Grew up Southern Baptist in South Texas. Two older brothers are Southern Baptist ministers. Undergraduate education in hard sciences made me question my Baptist roots. Struggle led me to ORU and I graduated with a perplexing emptiness. Served as a United Methodist minister for a couple of years and walked away. Your book succinctly and kindly addressed the struggle. Thank you.
Grew up Southern Baptist in South Texas. Two older brothers are Southern Baptist ministers. Undergraduate education in hard sciences made me question my Baptist roots. Struggle led me to ORU and I graduated with a perplexing emptiness. Served as a United Methodist minister for a couple of years and walked away. Your book succinctly and kindly addressed the struggle. Thank you.
April 12, 2025
Beautifully written book. Useful insight into many of the same questions I have as someone who was raised in a Christian home but was never fully bought in. I didn't feel as though the author was bashing those in the faith, more so explaining why the faith became untenable in his spiritual journey. I greatly appreciate this work and think Christians, and non Christians, will benefit from reading this material with an open mind!
August 12, 2021
This was an honest, transparent, thoughtful memoir from a former believer/missionary describing in detail the how and why of his deconversion. He addresses all the matters of contention: science vs. faith, evolution, biblical inerrancy, apologetics, morality, hell, the character of God, other religions, and more.
May 28, 2022
I stumbled across this 7 years ago and read bits and pieces, then more methodically in the last couple years. It's sort of a bit boring, but well written and thorough. Perhaps this is nitpicking, but it should probably be titled Why I Stopped Believing, as it's very little about why he believed, and more about why he does not.
June 9, 2022
An honest and sincere take on deconversion. Daniels raises many interesting questions on topics I had previously taken for granted. I am comfortable recommending this to anyone with an evangelical background; whether you agree with some, none, or all of Daniels' conclusions, it is worth gaining the perspective of the journey he and many others have taken.
September 19, 2018
Good and solid
A very comprehensive and sincere reflection. Very insightful and heart warming for people who are on the same process as he was. And a solid argument to those who are still staunch, maybe blindly, on their faith.
A very comprehensive and sincere reflection. Very insightful and heart warming for people who are on the same process as he was. And a solid argument to those who are still staunch, maybe blindly, on their faith.
August 24, 2020
Interesting conversation
The book is a little longer then it should be. However it contains ideas that many have though of through time. Whether skeptical or believer , it is interesting reading
The book is a little longer then it should be. However it contains ideas that many have though of through time. Whether skeptical or believer , it is interesting reading
October 28, 2012
I made the same voyage from Christianity to atheism and humanism as Ken did. Mine was a much shorter and easier passage. I wasn't the missionary son of missionary parents. I didn't have a Christian wife and children being raised in the church. Still it was difficult and at times a bit scary, so I can only just barely imagine how difficult it was for him. Yet most all of the things he experienced as a result of his deconversion I have experienced as well, especially the relief of not having to look at everything through the filter of the Bible and teachings of the church. I could simply look at things and people as they were and let the evidence lead me toward the truth of nature.
For those turned off by the hard line approaches of Dawkins or Hitchens, this is definitely a different approach. Even though Ken has completely crossed over to atheism, he states, and it is clearly evident in his writing, that his objective is NOT to lead other fundamentalist Christians to atheism, but rather, at least, to a kinder, gentler form of Christianity or deism that does not depend on the threat of eternal damnation and torment in order to keep its members in line, and allows them to enjoy the wonders of the natural world and the cosmos.
The author frequently refers to biblical scholar, Bart Ehrman. His book,Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible and Why We Don't Know About Them, is also a gentle but compelling wedge between faith and reason. I recommend both to readers interested in learning about devout evangelical Christians who have made the voyage from the island of fundamentalist Christianity to the land of free inquiry.
For those turned off by the hard line approaches of Dawkins or Hitchens, this is definitely a different approach. Even though Ken has completely crossed over to atheism, he states, and it is clearly evident in his writing, that his objective is NOT to lead other fundamentalist Christians to atheism, but rather, at least, to a kinder, gentler form of Christianity or deism that does not depend on the threat of eternal damnation and torment in order to keep its members in line, and allows them to enjoy the wonders of the natural world and the cosmos.
The author frequently refers to biblical scholar, Bart Ehrman. His book,Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible and Why We Don't Know About Them, is also a gentle but compelling wedge between faith and reason. I recommend both to readers interested in learning about devout evangelical Christians who have made the voyage from the island of fundamentalist Christianity to the land of free inquiry.
July 20, 2012
I just finished reading Ken Daniels book, "Why I believed" and I am really moved by the man's honesty. This is a fellow whose bone fides as a sincere Christian are beyond reproach. I so admire his courage to question his beliefs and come to the conclusion that his faith was no more well-grounded than those of other religions. There is nothing special about Islam, or Christianity, or Hinduism, or Buddhism. Humanity grasped at beliefs to explain the unknowns and uncertainties of life -- until the slow advent of scientific reasoning, which has begun to free people from the ignorance that is supernatural thought. I have never really been a Christian, so I cannot fully understand its hold on people, but I was a member of a religious group whose theology was at least as intricate and justifiable. For me, my sexual orientation forced me to question my beliefs- and finally break free. For author Ken Daniels, it was a slow awareness of the contradictions in Christian theology that he could no longer ignore, and which ultimately led to his freedom as a rationalist. I doubt "true believers" will be changed by his book, but I sure think that any Christian ought to read this and come to terms with its arguments. And for those who break free of the hold of supernatural ideas - start reading books in the realm of anthropology and evolution. Start with Frans de Waal and progress to Richard Dawkins and E. O. Wilson among many others.
Read
October 31, 2012Ken Daniels is open about his deconversion, as he calls it. And that is refreshing. He starts out easy to appreciate but goes philosophical after a few chapters. I cannot recommend this book unless you are up to the controversy it represents. If you are not religious,if you are not a christian or someone who is open to a belief in God, if you are an atheist, this book won't offend. It might even give you a sense of re-affirmation. But I am in the process of studying his book and a few others. I want to address this matter from a different but christian perspective. What Daniels does not remind us about but is every bit worth considering is that the books we read and the ideas we become convinced of help form our understanding of all things religious and philosophical, if—and it is a big if—we can understand it at all. Most people end up taking for granted that the author must be smart and therefore telling the truth or they cannot in clear conscience own the idea presented and close their minds.
For my part I have—or believe I have—identified 12 points of tension or controversy between christian thought and humanism. But I believe there are another 12 points of interest not considered by persons like Ken—I do not wish to be negative here, he is an honest guy and that is refreshing. These additional 12 points help offer a non traditional rebuttal to humanistic contentions against Scripture and God. Read Ken, of you want, but wait on my thoughts?
For my part I have—or believe I have—identified 12 points of tension or controversy between christian thought and humanism. But I believe there are another 12 points of interest not considered by persons like Ken—I do not wish to be negative here, he is an honest guy and that is refreshing. These additional 12 points help offer a non traditional rebuttal to humanistic contentions against Scripture and God. Read Ken, of you want, but wait on my thoughts?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews